July 27, 2013

No, This Isn't 1985 Redux...

Doooooomed! The Seattle Seahawks are DOOOOOOOOOOMED!
Percy Harvin is having hip issues. He might have a torn labrum. It might require surgery. He might miss a significant amount of time. Given Harvin's explosive talents, the quiver of draft picks and heaping pile of cash the Seahawks gave up to acquire him, this news has provided an opening to every national media naysayer and hater, and to every Twelve that is happier bemoaning the fate of the "Same Old Seahawks" than embracing hope or joy.

Yes, I'd rather have a healthy Percy Harvin. Yes, I'm worried about the longer-term implications for the Seahawks if Harvin is more or less "broken." I'm NOT worried about the 2013 Seahawks becoming a reboot of the deeply disappointing 1985 Seahawks, who started the preseason with Super Bowl expectations but limped to a pedestrian 8-8 record. Even without Percy Harvin, these Seahawks would still be serious contenders to win XLVIII. Let's revisit why that is...

1) The Seahawks have significantly upgraded the NFL's top scoring defense of 2012, particularly on the defensive line. They should be a Championship-level unit in 2013. Last time I checked, Percy Harvin doesn't play defense.

2) I did the math. In the last 10 games of the 2012 season (including the playoffs), the Seahawks scored 324 points. That's 32.4 points per game, kids. That was without Percy Harvin. It's not that I expect us to score thirty points a game over the 2013 season, but it's absolute lunacy to argue the Seattle offense will be hobbled and ineffective if Harvin isn't in the line-up. We'll score more than enough points, Harvin or not.

3) Without Harvin this team was 30 seconds away from the 2012 NFC Championship Game. That was with a rookie quarterback. A rookie who is obsessed with mastering the art of playing quarterback, who gets up at 6 am to watch film, who has an other-worldly set of physical and mental gifts. Yeah, some talk about a sophomore slump... I think his 2nd campaign is more likely to be a 1984-Dan-Marino-esque evolutionary leap forward.

So let's just consider the worst case scenario: Harvin misses 2013. Might that make the difference between 12-4 and 11-5? Might it be the difference between having the #1 seed or the #2 seed? Sure. But it won't keep Seattle from making the playoffs, and if the Hawks make the playoffs they'll TERRORIZE every opponent they face.

Would I panic if Russell Wilson went down for a significant amount of time? Fuck yes! Or Earl Thomas or Richard Sherman? Hell yeah... But while Harvin is a great talent, he isn't the fulcrum of the 2013 Seahawks' fate. Chill out. Know Hope. Keep Calm and Carry On... All that shit, yo.

Meet Your Blogger

I've been a Twelve since 1983 (and I haven't missed a game since then). I've been a season-ticket holder since 1997, and I've been writing this blog since 2008. My all-time favorite Seahawks player is Dave Krieg, and my favorite current Seahawk is Russell Wilson. Thanks for stopping by! -Ramona Peel